Whatsapp most used messaging app in India, followed by Facebook Messenger

New Delhi: A study released by GlobalWebIndex (GWI), the world's largest multi-market research company specialising in online consumer behaviour, revealed that WhatsApp dominates the Indian market with 70 million users, while China's WeChat is the

New Delhi: A study released by GlobalWebIndex (GWI), the world's largest multi-market research company specialising in online consumer behaviour, revealed that WhatsApp dominates the Indian market with 70 million users, while China's WeChat is the fastest growing mobile messaging app.

The report revealed that instant messaging apps – as a segment – have seen a growth of 113 per cent since 2013. The GlobalWebIndex report was conducted across 32 markets involving 170,000 internet users.

The study showed that 52 per cent of Indian instant messaging users are on WhatsApp, while 42 per cent use Facebook Messenger, 37 per cent are on Skype, and WeChat has a 26 per cent marketshare. The fifth spot is held by Viber with 18 per cent market share.

The study further states that WeChat witnessed a significant growth with an active user base increase of 2364 per cent in India, and 156 per cent globally, between the first quarter of 2013 to third quarter of 2014. Even though WhatsApp is still the top messaging app in India, WeChat has seen considerable rise in popularity, used by nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of the world's Internet users, along with an impressive 39 per cent users within the Asia Pacific region actively using the app.

GWI said the instant messaging apps are popular because they are free (45 per cent), being quicker than using social networks or text messages to speak to people (41 per cent) and lots of friends are using them (41 per cent).

Notably, the number of people messaging through social networking site such as Facebook, Google+ has declined.

“Mobile messaging tools like WeChat and WhatsApp have seen substantial growth during recent period. Social networks are being treated more passively, meaning the number of people messaging friends on social networks has declined. People see mobile messaging apps as an efficient way to communicate,” explained GlobalWebIndex Head of Trends Jason Mander.

The GWI study showed that 79 per cent of the online population owns a smartphone and users mobile messengers are young, affluent and highly active online.

The report also suggests that younger people, between 16 and 34 years of age, have preferred WeChat over WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Likewise, people over 35 are more inclined to WhatsApp and Facebook.